2 Comments

Surely, you meant the procrastinators back then “were made of a much *hardier* stock” rather than heartier.

… or so I was going to assume. Google is inconclusive. I find one Ghit for “heartier back then,” about 7 for “hardier back then,” and plenty of puns involving heart-healthy regimes, e.g. “hardier – and heartier – diets…”

I think it’s possible that today’s procrastinators have Blackberrys that vibrate whenever an e-mail is received, which can happen when a blog comment is posted. So today’s procrastinators have a golden opportunity to be distracted by technology whenever anything at all happens. Which may prove your point.

This is all turning into an entirely too Language Log-gy comment. Keep up the fine posting – I particularly enjoyed your story of How the East Was Integrated. Or rather, how a quota was removed. The bitter reality of the “there ain’t no opportunities for-” criticism is that until there’s a large pool of a given sort of applicant/ graduate, how would anyone know if there are opportunities?

Hi, Eh, My original intent “hardier or heartier” is impossible to say, given the CFS-brain-fog that I have been experiencing the past couple of weeks. However, now that I see that “hearty” means “Complete or thorough” and “Vigorous; robust,” I think I’ll stay with “heartier”.
You are surely correct that 21st Century procrastinators now have virtually unlimited opportunities — passive and active — for distractions.
As one of my favorite “Shoe” comic strips noted: Procrastination may be the most effective labor-savings device ever invented. (And, yes, I am procrasting from writing my main post of the day, by responding to your Comment.)
thanks for your constructive and kinds words.

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